Welcome Assembly, Senate and Executive Fellows class of 2016-17

The Assembly, Senate and Executive fellows class of 2016-17 arrived in Sacramento for the start of their fellowship last week. The fellows are currently immersed in orientation and activities such as All Fellows Day and Ag Day.

All Fellows Day is a particularly dynamic event that brings together all four Capital Fellows Programs under one roof to engage in leadership training, professional development and team building exercises. Takeaways from the training include improved communication skills, an increased ability to take risks within the group setting, and learning how to “break down silo’s” and increase connectivity, productivity, and engagement within a group setting. Fellows also had the special opportunity to hear from State Librarian Greg Lucas who engaged the group in a lively discussion about California and its rich history.

Ag Day is another exciting opportunity for Fellows to explore the California Central Valley’s rich agriculture roots. Fellows began the day at Soil Born Farms learning about community gardening and the efforts this local company puts into engaging young children in healthy eating habits. The group then traveled to New Hope Dairy in Galt. New Hope Dairy is a large scale production dairy – generating nearly 14,000 gallons of milk per day! It is also home to a partnership with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) in the form of a dairy digester. The digester is located onsite at the dairy and converts methane and other bio waste into clean energy to be used to power homes in the Sacramento region. Fellows ended the day at the Lange Twins Winery in Lodi where they continued to learn about sustainable farming practices and the wine industry.

Applications are now open for the Capital Fellows Programs. Apply now to be a part of this exciting and rewarding opportunity in public service.

Fellows learn about sustainable farming practices at Soil Born Farms

New Hope Dairy cows greet the Fellows during Ag Day

Fellows attend a briefing at Lange Twins Winery in Lodi

Capital Fellows gather during All Fellows Day for a team building exercise

Fellows help one another during a team building exercise on All Fellows Day